Abstract
Summary
Injections of purified bovine LH (NIH-LH-B3) in rabbits produced circulating antibodies which were associated with degenerative changes in uterine, ovarian, and adenohypophyseal structures and affected mating behavior and ovulation. Final body weight; gain in body weight; adrenal, thyroid, and thymus weights; and histology were unaffected. Freund's complete adjuvant caused microscopic changes in the ovaries and adenohypophysis. Bovine LH and crude rabbit anterior pituitary extract contained a similar antigen which cross-reacted with anti-BLH serum. The cross-reacting antigen was not bovine gamma globulin or bovine serum albumin. Results were attributed to an autoimmune phenomenon with circulating antibodies common to NIH-LH-B3 and endogenous gonadotropin.
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